Collegian Archives
Articles from Collegian.com, dating back as far as 2001
Our View: A chance to better Student Media
Uncategorized Comments Off on Our View: A chance to better Student Media
Only one proposal for change to the current structure of Student Media has been submitted to the Collegian Advisory Committee — the group charged with reviewing any bids for a "strategic partnerships" with the Collegian.
The proposal, the Collegian learned Monday, came from Student Media director Jeff Browne, the only person who really knows how this gig runs.
Now, this is good news for students who want an independent student media free from corporate pressure, but we're praying CSU President Larry Penley doesn't plan to pull another fast one. He wanted proposals; he got one before the deadline. And from what we hear, it's comprehensive.
If this group carries any weight in it's recommendation to Penley, it's unlikely that the Collegian could be sold, but a drastic change — good or bad — looms over Student Media. We hope they make the right decisions, for the right reasons.
Remember, this group was originally formed to review a proposal from media giant Gannett and any other corporations interested in "a strategic partnership," as coined by Penley in January. But after talking with Gannett officials, the Collegian found the group was formed after CSU turned down talks of a sale of the Collegian — not a partnership — to Gannett. So why is this nebulous advisory board in existence?
Your guess is as good as ours, but we're playing along. Gannett and any other media conglomerate appear to be ineligible to submit any proposal, so it seems the group is a tiny step in a process to remove the university from any perceived liability, not sell off the Collegian.
Stressed students can seek help at CSU
Uncategorized Comments Off on Stressed students can seek help at CSU
Authors: Jeff Rosenberry
The clock is ticking with only one and a half months of school left but for some this may seem like an eternity. For others, the end of the year is closer than you might think.
No matter how you look at it though, there is a lot going on over the last few weeks of school. The classroom work alone is enough to make some stomachs turn.
Right on cue, the weather is improving, making it even harder to stay focused. There are study groups, the search for a place to live, the friendships, the relationships and, most importantly, the final project you have been avoiding.
How are you dealing with it all?
Even with this joyous end of the year approaching, many of us are in stressful positions that are causing some conflict in our relationships, with our friends, with employers, or even with professors.
Well, there is help for the student who is being bombarded with issues of stress and conflict, and it is free.
I am not talking about going on a run, taking a hike, or counseling — although all those are great options for the student who needs to take a break. But, rather, I am talking about just changing your response.
People often throw around the word "conflict," but what does it really mean to be in conflict? Webster defines conflict as "a state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash." And how, might you ask, do situations end up in conflict?
Contrary to popular belief, it has little to do with whether you like or dislike a person. A lot of conflict actually stems from a lack of listening – people not really listening to each other and not hearing what the other person is saying.
We have all heard the term "stop and smell the roses," but what about stopping to listen and hearing what people say? This is the single greatest way to alleviate conflict in your day-to-day life.
When fighting with a partner or a friend, we often get caught up with saying what we want to say and being right. A quick and simple fix to most conflict issues stems from the ability to really listen to what the other person is saying and making sure they feel heard.
Only then, will they be able to really hear you and what you are saying. Go ahead — try it next time you are in an argument with someone. Instead of throwing a fit to get your point across, just sit there and listen to what the other person has to say. I guarantee that it will present a clearer picture of what is really going on between the two of you and you might actually hear the places where you agree versus only the places where you disagree.
Once they feel heard, you can then share your perspective. They will be more likely to listen to you because you have just made them feel heard.
The fact is, the Collegian could probably do an entire issue on the many ways we can resolve the conflict we have in our life, but this article will suffice with the simple advice: listen up.
Some of you are reading this thinking that you can easily give this a try and others are reading this wanting to beat down my door with your conflict and thinking it is much easier said than done. For those thinking the latter or that your conflict is too great, there is help — and it is still free.
The Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct Services office, located in room 200 in the Lory Student Center, is a place where students can get support and tools to deal with a variety of university-related conflicts. Our staff will either provide you with the tools to solve the conflict on your own or provide assistance in a variety of ways.
No issue is too big and no conflict is too small for our office. Whether you are struggling with a professor or your roommate situation is getting on your nerves, our office is there to support and assist you.
As the year comes to a close, avoid taking on added stress. Utilize the Conflict Resolution office and get some assistance.
You should never have to do it alone, and the Conflict Resolution team is in place and ready to bring that stress level down, allowing you to concentrate on the things that are more important — classes, BBQs, tanning, lawn darts, etc.
For more information about the services the Conflict Resolution office can provide you, please visit our webpage at www.conflictresolution.colostate.edu. To set up an appointment, call (970) 491-7165.
The power is yours, but sometimes it is nice to know that there is support right upstairs in the Lory Student Center.
Jeff Rosenberry is a graduate student for the office of Conflict Resolution and Student contact services. Luci Storelli-Castro's column will return next week. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
Vote Bush for 2008!
Uncategorized Comments Off on Vote Bush for 2008!
Authors: Mary Ackerson
April Fools. I hope everyone makes it past my headline, because this will probably be the most personal column I write this semester.
The Islam Awareness Dinner on campus, March 4, demonstrated that cultural education can greatly contribute to religious harmony by highlighting similarities rather than differences between religions.
For me, the experience was a refreshing change from institutional religion. Communities, including religious communities, form by identifying differences between themselves and others.
In our globalized world, many of the differences that used to be asserted by religions are being discovered to instead be commonalities, forcing them to cling to their foundational differences. But this focus on difference breeds misunderstanding and animosity; hindering the love and acceptance that these communities value.
I grew up a devout Christian, and distancing myself from institutional religion has definitely not been easy. I frequently feel misunderstood by and disconnected from family and friends. There is a strong sense of security and belongingness that comes from being included in a community, and of loss and loneliness once excluded from it.
However, this is something I am willing to forgo.
When I was a Christian, the more I came to know people from other religions, the more I realized how much their moral actions reflected my truth. I began to understand that it is one's actions, rather than beliefs, that reveal the validity of their truth.
Even so, for a while I remained a Christian by relying on the assumption that other religions can know pieces of "the truth" without knowing all of it.
The Islamic presentation dispelled this last lingering assumption I had from my religion. After witnessing the passion and conviction that the Muslim speaker Chantal Carnes had for her truth, I could no longer maintain that Christians "know" their truth to a higher degree. I could fully see that there is nothing incomplete or deceived in a Muslim's devotion to their truth.
The more I learn about other religions, the more I find similarities rather than differences.
I have come to realize that the main reason I had believed in my truth was due to my background — I grew up a white, middle-class, Christian, American. If I had been born in the Middle East, my experiences and beliefs would be very different.
In her book "Models for God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear Age" Sallie MacFague said. "We are born into particular circumstances and communities that form us at the most basic levels and interpret our experience for us in ways we cannot control and, in significant ways, do not even recognize."
Throughout modernity, countless theists and philosophers attempted to prove the validity of different religions using reason, but were unable to do so.
Theology in the postmodern era has come to discredit the idea of truth, because in order for something to be truth, it would have to be universalized.
This does not, however, negate the existence of truth. The failure to create a universal truth revealed that religious truth cannot be known objectively, but it can still exist and be found on a relative, subjective level.
Surprisingly for me, since I have come to realize that I am incapable of knowing truth in the way I used to think possible, the more happy and content I have become. It had been impossible for me to truly learn from and understand people from other cultures when I entered into conversations already "knowing" what truth is.
It is important for those of you who believe in one religion or truth to know that I was only able to see this limitation when I no longer ascribed to a single truth.
The more I am capable of truly understanding people from different religions, the more I am able to genuinely love them.
In our time, the most important thing that we can do in a world plagued by intercultural conflict is sincerely try to understand those that we view as different from us, and I want to thank the Muslim Student Association for helping make me come to a better understanding of the Islamic community.
Mary Ackerson is a senior political science major. Her column appears Tuesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
CSU grads find work despite recession
Uncategorized Comments Off on CSU grads find work despite recession
Authors: Heidi Reitmeier
After four years of study, most CSU students are proving to be successful in their job search after graduating in spite of indications of an economic recession.
"The economy is on very shaky ground right now," Martin Shields, a CSU regional economics associate professor, said. "Problems with the credit and housing markets and diminishing consumer confidence are the main culprits."
Additionally, college students in Colorado are more likely to find work in the state. The national unemployment rate, which has remained unchanged since January 2008, currently stands at 4.9 percent. In comparison, Colorado's unemployment rate currently lies at a 4.2 rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Colorado continues to display modest employment gains in the face of a national economy seemingly on the verge of contraction," Donald J. Mares, executive director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, said in a press release earlier this month.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment released projections of employment from 2006 to 2008 earlier this month. According to its findings, employment will increase in healthcare, education and agricultural industries in 2008, whereas fewer jobs will be available in construction and manufacturing industries.
"Construction is slowing down because people have over-extended their credit," Brett Beal, CSU Career Center's associate director for employee relations, said. "However, CSU has not seen a significant downfall in job placement across the board."
Edward Doyle, a senior accounting major, has found resources provided by the CSU Career Center helpful in preparing for his first job after graduating.
"I use CareerRAM to help build my resume," Doyle said. "But it's still an ongoing search."
Beal stresses starting the job search early.
"It typically takes anywhere from two to nine months to get your first job out of college," Beal said. "Try to start searching for jobs in the fall of your senior year."
Beal also advises students to be flexible with their first job out of college.
"Your first job out of college is not your last job," she said. "Find things that are interesting to you and develop your skills."
However, some students say searching for jobs has been far from a smooth process.
"Internships that I have been looking at, you have to have experience," Candace Fairchild, a senior history major, said. "But, how can I get experience if I don't get an internship?"
"Looking for the job is the hardest part," Derek Lowstuter, a senior natural resources management major, said. "Getting the job was the easy part."
In spite of doubts from students, Shields said CSU graduates will likely find what they're looking in the job market, though it might not come to them right away.
"I am confident that CSU graduates will find opportunities when they finish here," he said. "It may take a little while longer. (Students) may need to expand their job search to include more parts of the country."
Staff writer Heidi Reitmeier can be reached at news@collegian.com.
National program offers leadership opportunities
Uncategorized Comments Off on National program offers leadership opportunities
Authors: Andy Dose
Student leaders are offering students an opportunity to participate in LeaderShape, a national program designed to give students tools to become better leaders in everyday life and later on in their respective professions.
The Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement office, will take participants to Pingree Park at CSU's mountain campus the week after graduation to experience both lecture and hands-on activities to facilitate leadership training.
"It's really an experience for both young leaders and leaders with a lot of experience," Jake Blumberg, Public Relations coordinator for SLiCE, said. "There's a lot to gain from it."
Bobby Kunstman, assistant director of SLiCE, said the application process for the retreat is simple: the online application itself and four questions online pertaining to individuals' specific needs.
SLiCE's goal is to register 150 students. Of those, 72 attendees will be accepted for the conference.
"We want to make sure that we're using student fee dollars to the best of our ability," Kunstman said.
The conference will be held at the university's mountain campus to ensure an adequate distraction-free environment for students to delve into their personal goals as well as goals for their careers.
"Rarely do you have enough time to sit down (and consider), 'What is my mission in life, what do I want to accomplish by the time I'm dead?'" Blumberg said. "And LeaderShape, this five-day retreat, really gives you an opportunity to do that."
Students have until Friday to apply.
Staff writer Andy Dose can be reached at news@collegian.com.
Blumhardt wins national business award
Uncategorized Comments Off on Blumhardt wins national business award
A national college newspaper business organization gave Kim Blumhardt, advertising manager for the Collegian, its prestigious JoAnn Daughtee Distinguished Service award Friday for her dedication to her organization.
Blumhardt received the award at the annual Collegiate Newspaper Business and Advetisement Managers (CNBAM) conference in San Antonio, Texas.
"The timing couldn't be any more perfect," Blumhardt said. "This has been a really tough year for ad sales at the Collegian, and I guess that the award gives me the motivation to keep on going. It's been a challenging year for the staff, and it's been a challenging year for me too, and this is just kind of a nice pat on the back."
Blumhardt, longtime student mentor for many ad staffers, has worked with Student Media and the Collegian for 19 years.
"I started in March of 1989 at the Collegian, and it's gone fast," Blumhardt said. "I don't feel like I've been here that many years, which I guess means I enjoy what I do because it's gone very quickly."
Jeff Brown, director of Student Media, said Blumhardt has always been an asset to the university and has helped to provide a solid foundation for the newspaper over the years.
"Kim has been the engine that has driven Student Media for the last (19) years, Browne said. "We are very proud of what she does."
Browne said Blumhardt has exhibited hard work and dedication through hard times for student media organizations across the country.
"Student media, in general, across the country, is faced with a real challenge of developing readers and developing sales for products that, in the general, professional media, are having to cut (budgets, etc.), and we either hold steady or we grow, depending on the particular year, and that's all because of Kima and her hard work."
Blumhardt will also receive the Friend of Scholastic Journalism award from the National Convention for High School Students on April 19 in Anaheim, CA, for her work as a director for the Colorado High School Press Association.
Rams beat UNC Bears
Uncategorized Comments Off on Rams beat UNC Bears
Authors: Rachel KnoxStutsman
GREELEY – It was a long day for CSU softball Saturday, but it resulted in a sweep of host Northern Colorado at Butler-Hancock Softball Field on the UNC campus.
The Rams (19-11) won the first game against the Bears (7-30) 6-2, and sophomore pitcher Rebecca Penland earned her sixth victory of the season.
Battling was the key for the Rams in the second game. CSU coach Mary Yori said that even though the Rams "played a little shaky," they battled back to win it.
The two-hour, 55-minute slugfest featured a combined 31 hits and 30 runs and was won by CSU, 18-12.
The Bears plated five runs in the first inning, knocking starter Kim Klabough out before the inning was over.
Down 6-0 after two, senior first baseman Julia Kloppe came to the plate with the bases loaded in the third and hit the ball over the centerfield fence to put the Rams back in the game.
"We started a little slow, but came back good," said Kloppe, who finished the game with eight RBIs. "And (we) had a good finish."
In the Rams next at bat, Kloppe followed her grand slam up with a three-run home run, giving CSU its first lead of the game, 7-6. They would score three more times before the end of the inning to stretch their lead to four.
The Bears came back to tie the game at 10 in the bottom of the fourth, but freshman Erranne Daugharthy, who came on in relief of Penland, would allow only two runs, while the CSU offense scored eight more times. Daughathy, who gave up two runs in three and two thirds innings, earned the first victory of her collegiate career.
"We fought hard," Daughathy said.
Yori credited Daugharty with keeping the UNC offense at bay while the girls pulled farther ahead.
"Eranne turned in a solid performance for us today," Yori said in a university press release. "UNC was seeing the ball well, and she did enough to keep their hitters off balance and allow our offense to build a lead."
The last little gasp of the Bears' offense came in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, UNC right fielder Jessie Schoepflin tripled and was brought home by Kelly Henderson.
The Bears then got their second run with two outs when an error, CSU's second of the game, plated Hilary Van Otterloo from third.
The Rams will open conference play this week on the road with a pair of doubleheaders against Utah on Thursday and BYU on Friday.
The next home game is April 9 when the Rams will once again play Northern Colorado at Ram Field.
Sports writer Rachel Knox-Stutsman can be reached at sports@collegian.com.
Spring practice ramps up with full-contact drills
Uncategorized Comments Off on Spring practice ramps up with full-contact drills
Authors: Nick Hubel
Spring means a number of different things to Coloradans – a chance to dust off the bike stored in the garage, play some golf, or go running in 75 degree days that start with an inch of snow on the ground.
For the CSU football program, spring means the first chance to get back to what football players do best – namely, knocking other football players down.
In front of crowd of fans large enough to require a handful of yellow-jacketed event staff, next year's football team got its first taste of full-contact over the weekend. The team, which began spring camp with a shorts and helmets light practice last Tuesday, was out in full gear on Saturday for a brief scrimmage and some long-anticipated hitting drills.
Senior middle-linebacker Jeff Horinek said that he was excited to get back to the field, and that the scrimmage was a good way to get everyone excited in practice.
"It felt good, usually we always wait (for full contact practice)," Horinek said. "It was nice. As soon as we get our pads on, people start getting antsy. They let us go ahead and hit."
The scrimmage bounced between being disorganized (jumbled sets and impromptu teaching timeouts) to official (complete with a team of referees and a scoreboard tracking winning plays for the offense and defense alike).
Without a third-down or goal-line offense in place yet, the scrimmage ran just 28 plays, ending in a 14-14 offense-versus-defense tie.
The team stuck pretty rigidly to the previously released depth-chart, without many surprises. For the positions in the hottest water this spring, little was settled on Saturday.
Billy Farris is still running the first team offense at quarterback, with junior Grant Stucker backing him up. Matt Yemm seemed to move up a bit on the wide receiver chart, running with the first group alongside Dion Morton and Rashaun Greer.
On the defensive side, redshirt freshman Brandon Owens and junior Nick Oppenneer started at corner. Still, according to first-year coach Steve Fairchild, all races at all positions remain "wide open."
Fairchild said after practice that he was pleased with the scrimmage and the opportunity to see the team play at full speed.
"I like the way we're working," Fairchild said. Of the quarterback situation, he added, "we'll have a good running game to help our guy out. I'm confident we'll develop a quarterback."
The good running game made its mark Saturday, with seniors Gartrell Johnson, Kyle Bell, Michael Myers and sophomore John Mosure all finding seams in the defense for big gains. Bell, who punctuated one of his runs by steamrolling a defender for an extra two yards to the cheers of his teammates and fans, said after that he was feeling good this year and expected the competition this spring to be fierce.
"It felt good to go live . it's good to get out and play some real football. To hit and get that contact felt good," Bell said. "There's a lot of things we need to clean up before the spring game, but that's kind of a given. I thought the energy was good and we got a lot done."
The team has 10 practices over the next three weeks before the annual spring game on Saturday, April 19.
All practices are open to the public. The team's next scheduled practice is Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on the fields south of Moby Arena.
Sports writer Nick Hubel can be reached at sports@collegian.com.
CSU take first place in Upton Invite
Uncategorized Comments Off on CSU take first place in Upton Invite
Authors: Stephen Myers
Sunny skies, strong winds and CSU green and gold placing first summed up this weekend's meet at Jack Christensen Track, as the Rams defeated the field of 13 teams to win the Rob Upton Invitational on Saturday.
A Ram finished first in 16 of the 38 events.
"We were one of the few schools to field an entire team today," CSU track and field coach Brian Bedard said. "I know CU didn't have their entire team, but a win's a win and we'll take it."
Wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour howled across the track, making competition difficult for some of the athletes.
"The wind today was a little bit of a challenge especially for the jumpers and throwers to get a consistent mark," Bedard said. "This is outdoor track, though, everyone has to deal with the elements and it's something everyone has to get used to."
Five Rams fought off, or used the wind to their advantage, to hit NCAA regional-qualifying marks. Most of the qualifying marks come from the throwing squad.
"The throwers' performance was a mixed bag today; we had some more regional marks but we also had some meltdowns and inconsistency," Bedard said.
Senior Jason Schutz stayed consistent and used the wind to his advantage to win the men's discus with a throw of 195-07, which was a top-five mark for the entire country.
"The wind can actually be an advantage in throwing especially in the discus as long as it is blowing in the direction you're throwing as it kind of was today," Schutz said.
Schutz defeated former Ram great Casey Malone, who was competing unattached. Malone finished sixth in the 2004 summer Olympics after graduating from CSU.
Sophomore Cameron Carter also qualified in the discus by finishing third with a toss of 176-11.
"I qualified last year as a freshman so it was definitely a goal of mine and kind of expected that I would qualify again this year," Carter said. "I feel good that I was able to do it so early in the season."
Juniors Alex Godell and Missy Faubus both double-qualified for regional qualifying marks. Godell placed first in the hammer throw with a launch of 199-02 and finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 175-05.
Faubus, who qualified last weekend in the discus, threw another solid effort of 165-03 to finish first in the event. She also qualified in the shot-put with a toss of 48-03.25.
Coach Bedard was impressed with the throwers' performance, but also expects fewer fouls and more of a consistent approach.
"It is still early in the season so I'll try not to wig out," Bedard said. "I have high standards and when we have faults it can be kind of frustrating because I see what these guys can do in practice. It just takes some time and I'll have to be patient."
Godell has had trouble with consistency in the ring, particularly in the discus.
"I can be a little hit or miss, so right now I'm trying to build that confidence up so I can make those big throws on a consistent basis," Godell said. "There are some technical aspects I need to work on so when the adrenaline is going and I'm trying to hit those big throws, I can do it without being out of control."
On the track, CSU record holder in the 400-meter dash, senior Drew Morano, finished first in the event, improving on his regional qualifying-time by running a time of 46.78 seconds.
Senior Janay DeLoach would have ran a regional-qualifying time in the 100-meters, but her time of 11.50 seconds was aided by a strong tail wind up to 25 miles per hour, which was over the NCAA limit.
Other top finishers for the Rams included Melissa Thomas with a first place finish in the 5,000-meter run, Sonni Russell finishing first in the high jump with a leap of 5-06.50 and Kevin Johnson in the 110-meter hurdles, where he placed first with a time of 14.99 seconds.
"Kevin Johnson was very aggressive attacking the hurdles and had a (personal record)," Bedard said. "I really liked the way he competed."
Another top finisher was freshman Ryan Friese in the 800-meter run. Friese joined the CSU program as a triple-jumper, but coaches thought his talent would best translate to the 800-meter.
"Every race he learns something," Bedard said. "He is a tough guy and has bought in whole heartedly, handling the training with no whining or complaining. He is going to be great for us."
Bedard was impressed with the turnout of students and community members to the home meet.
"There were some points in the meet when the entire bleachers were filled," he said. "Fort Collins is typically into track so there were a lot of families with kids as well as CSU students and fellow CSU athletes."
The Rams travel to Greeley next weekend for the Tom Benich Invitational hosted by the University of Northern Colorado.
Sports writer Stephen Meyers can be reached at sports@collegian.com.
Yays and Nays
Uncategorized Comments Off on Yays and Nays
yay| to CSU softball. We're pleased that at least one CSU sports team still knows how to win games.
nay | to snow on the ground – again. Seriously, Colorado, it's spring time. Enough with the cold weather.
yay | to Cesar Chavez week. If only most of the CSU population knew who he was.
nay | to plans to spend our student fee money on concerts. How about working to lower our tuition instead?
yay | to the start of the Rockies season. We look forward to another splendid Rocktober.
nay | to the the Rocky Mountain Chronicle releasing their "Best of '08" in March. We still have three-fourths of the year left, idiots.
Too School for Cool: In conclusion
Re-Framing the Education Conversation
Everyday Explorations: CSU's Forestry and Natural Resources Buildings
Celebrity Countdown says goodbye
Too School for Cool: To share or not to share… dessert
Punk Curmudgeon on Rape culture comes to light in Fort Collins
Steph on No Place Like OM
Neenah on Silver Grill Cafe: Celebrating 80 Years of "Yum!"
Dani on SpokesBUZZ promotes local music world wide
ned on HOT DAMN, HOT PANTS!
Celebrity Countdown
CSU Administration
Everyday Explorations
Fit & Fine
Full Sports
Goods & Gear
Higher Education in Crisis
RamTalk
Student Abroad
The Cache
The Munchies
Too School for Cool
© 2016 Collegian Archives Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha